Improvement in car-couplings



l. T. LQCOGHRAN.

Car-Couplings.

N0. 144,956. Patented Nov.25,|1873.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEc JAMES T. L. COCHRAN, OF COLUMBIA, TENNESSEE.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-COUPLINGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 144,956, dated November 25, 1873; application filed october 1e, 1873.

To all 'whom fit may concern:

Be it known that I, J. T. L. COCHRAN, of

Figure 1 is a plan view, and Fig. 2 a side view, in section, of my coupling.

In all railroad disasters of which we have any account, I am not aware of a single instance where one has happened While the train was moving on an ascending grade. Taking advantage, therefore, of this fact, my object is to furnish a car-couplin g which will surely and certainly meet the exigencies of the occasion in the event of a locomotive being hurled from the track while the train is on a descending grade.. Hy invention consists, simply, in a loose bolt passing through metal bars attached to the contiguouscars, with loose-f1tting pins in the bolt, all so arranged that the pins will fall out and the cars become instantly uncoupled should, by any means, one or the other of them be turned over.

In order that others skilled in the art may avail themselves of the benefit of my invention, I will now describe its construction and operation.v

A is the front cross-bar of a railway-coach,

and B the same of a locomotive-tender. 'C represents the coupling-bolt, and d e the pins inserted therein. One end of the connectingbolt C is made square, which fits loosely in a mort-isc in the bar B, and is held in place by the headed pin e. I make the bolt C rounding on that portion of it which slides loosely in the hole in cross-barA; and the pin d also fits very loosely through the bolt C. g represents a stop on the bolt, the object of which is to prevent pressure on the pin c, and thus have it in readiness to drop out should an emergency arise. A

The operation of my coupling is as follows: Suppose a train of cars to be on a descending grade; the cross-bars A B will, therefore, be close together. Now, should the locomotivetender be upset, the bolt C will be turned over, and the pin will instantly drop out, thus allowing the locomotive to be disengaged without drawing the next car after it.

That I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The bolt C, crossbars A B, and pins d e, all combined substantially as and for the purpose. described. I

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I affix my signature in presence ot' two witnesses.

JAMES T. Il. COCHRAN.

f'itliesses:

WM. J. ANDREWS, W. C. BAIRD. 

